Sanitary telephone attachment



Dec. 31, 1929. 5. WILSON SANITARY TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT Filed June 30, 1926 INVENTOR BY 4 @b-v -iwfl'g' ATTORNEYS. 3

Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEVEN WILSON, E CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 THUR/LOW G.

i GREGORY SANITARY TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT Application filed June 30, 1926. Serial No. 119,596.

This invent-ion, as indicated, relates to a sanitary telephone attachment. More particularly, it comprises a funnel-shaped structure having a perforated diaphragm adjacent the smaller end and having means for securing the same to the mouthpiece of a telephone. The device is adapted for manufacture in several different forms and is particularly adapted to contain an ingredient having a decided ermicidal effect.

Heretofore it has been proposed to use attaohmentsfor telephone mouthpieces which would snap over the outer edge of the standard transmitter mouthpiece and extend in- Wardly within the same. It has also'been proposed to provide a modified form of m0uthpiece which would be provided with a temporary outer mouthpiece to be thrown away after use.

sanitary protection for the user, and such attachments as involve a substitute mouthpiece for the standard mouthpiece are too expensive for general use.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of an attachment which may be applied to a telephone mouthpiece of standard design with a minimum of effort, and which will provide for an improved transmission through the instrument, as well as afford a perfectly sanitary device to pre vent germ transmission through the mouth and throat of the telephone user. A further object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece of the character described which may be readily carried by the user and applied to any standard mouthpiece which it may be convenient to use, with the full assurance that danger of contamination may be practically 4o eliminated even though a public telephone is used which has been previously used by persons having colds or more serious infections. Another object of the invention is to-provide a readily attachable mouthpiece which will have a replaceable diaphragm carrying ger-' micidal ingredients which may be thus renewed from time to time as such preparations lose their efficacy. Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description.

Such liners for sanitary mouth- 20 pieces are not adequate to produce a fully To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain structure embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of vari ous structural forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a standard telephone transmitter mouthpiece with one form of my improved sanitary mouthpiece shown in section connected therewith; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a modified form of sanitary mouthpiece embodying the principle of my invention, said mouthpiece having a removable diaphragm; Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section showing still another moditied form of mouthpiece involving the principle of my invention; Fig. f is a plan view of the removable diaphragm shown in F ig. 8;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section showing another form of sanitary attachment for telephone mouthpiece; and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional detail view of a removable diaphragm such as isshown in Fig. 2.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing my preferred form of sanitary attachment for a telephone mouthpiece 1 comprises a funnel-shaped member 2' having a wide bell-like opening 3 at one end and a substantially cylindrical portion 4 at its smallerend of a size adapted to engage the outer end of said telephone mouthpiece 1. Adjacent said cylindrical portion an integral diaphragm 5 is formed having a plurality of spaced openings 6, through which the sound is transmitted. The cylindrical portion of the mouthpiece is provided with coarse screw other ingredients that a suitable transparent or semi-transparent attachment may be formed which will have decided germicidal properties and which may be readily kept in a perfectly sanitary condition by the user.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 2 the funnel-shaped member is of substantially the same shape as that shown in Fig. 1, but in place of having an integral diaphragm a flexible, readily removable dia phragm is used instead. The funnel-shaped member 11 is provided adjacent its smaller end with a groove 12, within which is seated a double diaphragm 13, preferably formed of gauze or similar fabric of circular form and engaged over a wire frame 14 comprising a ring bent to circular shape and having its ends 15 projecting inwardly to serve as finger pieces to permit said ring to be compressed to smaller size so that it may be withdrawn from the groove 12. The fabric diaphragm may be perforated at spaced intervals with aligned apertures 16. The fabric is preferably gauze, or some equivalent fabric, which has been impregnated with germicidal agents which will protect the user of the mouthpiece from germs which may have been deposited within the standard mouthpiece by a previous user of such instrument.

In the form of construction shown in F 3 and 4 the extension mouthpiece 21 is provided with a plurality of slots 22 opening toward its rearward smaller portion, which gives the same a slight degree of resiliency so that the sections may snap over the forward edge of the standard telephone mouthpiece. The inner wall of the cylindrical portion 23 of the mouthpiece is provided with a pair of grooves 24 and 25, the groove 24 being adj acent the rearward end and adapted to seat upon the rim of the standard telephone mouthpiece. The cylindrical wall 23 is curved rearwardly of said groove 24 in order to snap over the rim of said mouthpiece, and the rearward edge of said groove 24 is provided with an inclined face 26, which will permit said attachment to be readily with drawn from said standard mouthpiece. The groove 25 has parallel side walls and is adapted to receive a medicated diaphragm 27 formed of suitable material, such as compressed. fiber. Said diaphragm is provided with spaced apertures 28 to permit transmission of vocal sounds therethrough. Said diaphragm is engaged within this groove when the rearward'portion of said attachment is spread to a distance slightly greater than that. necessary to engage upon the rim of the standard mouthpiece. Thus the diaphragm will remain in position at all times, irrespective of the position of the attachment when the same is removed or attached to the standard mouthpiece.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 5, the attachment 31 is made of porous material and the diaphragm 32 adjacent the rearward portion thereof is made integral therewith. Spaced apertures 33 are formed through said diaphragm and the cylindrical portion 34 of the structure adjacent the rearward end thereof is provided with a corrugated interior surface 35, which is adapted to frictionally engage the rim of the standard telephone mouthpiece.

The porous material employed in the construction shown in Fig. 5 may be of semirigid character, such as papier-mache, or may be in the nature of natural or artificial stone. Said material, from time to time, will be treated with a solution embodying formaldehyde or some similar germicidal agent, which will thus serve to maintain the attachment in satisfactory sanitary condition.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinetly claim my invention:

1. An attachment adapted to be applied to standard telephone mouthpieces, comprising a body portion of rigid material embodying a germicidal ingredient substantially cylindrical adjacent one end and flared outwardly toward its opposite end to its point of greatest diameter, a diaphragm positioned at the meeting point of said cylindrical and flared outer portion, and fastening means provided on said cylindrical portion for securing said device to a standard telephone mouthpiece.

2. An attachment adapted to be applied to standard telephone mouthpieces, comprising a body portion of rigid material embodying a germicidal ingredient substantially cylindrical adjacent one end and flared outwardly toward its opposite end to its point of great est diameter, a diaphragm positioned at the meeting point of said cylindrical and flared outer portion, and means provided on the insideof said cylindrical portion inwardly of said diaphragm for engaging a standard telephone mouthpiece. g

3. An attachment adapted'to be applied to standard telephone mouthpieces, comprising a body portion of rigid material embodying a germicidal ingredient substantially cylindrical adjacent one endand flared outwardly toward its opposite end to its point of greatest diameter, and a recessed surface formed on the inner portion of said cylindrical section of said body member for engaging a standard telephone mouthpiece.

4. An attachment adapted to be applied to standard telephone mouthpieees, comprising a rigid integral body portion substantially cylindrical adjacent one end and flared outwardly toward its opposite end to its point its of greatest diameter, a recessed surface formed on the inner portion of said cylindrical section of said body member for engaging a standard telephone mouthpiece, and an antiseptic compound made a part of the body portion of said attachment.

5. An attachment adapted to be applied to standard telephone mouthpieces, comprising a body portion of rigid material embodying a germicidal ingredient substantially cylindrical L(l]LCGIll3 one end and flared outwardly toward its opposite end to its point of greatest diameter, a recessed surface forming on the inner portion of said cylindrical section of said body member for engaging a standard telephone mouthpiece, a diaphragm positioned at the meeting point of said cylindrical and flared outer portion, and an antiseptic ingredient provided in the diaphragm of said attachment.

6. An attachment adapted to be applied to standard telephone mouthpieces, comprising a body portion substantially cylindrical adjacent one end and flared outwardly toward its opposite end to its point of greatest diameter, and a removable diaphragm having a resilient spreading member positionedat the meeting point of said cylindrical and flared outer portion.-

7. An attachment adapted to be applied to standard telephone mouthpieces, comprising a body portion substantially cylindrical adj acent one end and flared outwardly toward its opposite end to its point of greatest diam- 35 eter, and a removable diaphragm having a spring frame positioned at the meeting point of said cylindrical and flared outer portion, said diaphragm being formed of material having antiseptic properties. 40 Signed by me this 13th day of May, 1926.

' STEVEN WIL$ON. 

